Mattel Dream Mobile

 In 2020 Mattel, in its Hot Wheels line, released a Hot Wheels version of its first vehicle, the Dream Mobile, released in 1953.

From the back of the card: "In 1953, Elliot Handler and Joseph Kossof designed what would be Mattel's first toy vehicle, but it wasn't a Hot Wheels; it was a futuristic bubble-topped convertible with a friction motor called the Mattel Dream Car. Now that first vehicle has been recreated in die-cast as a fitting tribute to a dream that became a reality."

After that was released, I actually noticed one "in the wild" while at an antique shop.

In rough shape, and not complete, but still a neat toy. Wasn't willing to pay their asking price, but may try to add this to my vintage collection.

Hot Wheels Olds 442 W-30 (DYB56) - 2 of 8 from 2017 Happy Halloween Series

Here is the 2nd car in the 2017 Happy Halloween 8 car series. These are sold exclusively at Kroger's. This is the first licensed car in the bunch - the Olds 442 W-30 (DVB56). I like seeing a licensed model in the series, but would have preferred a car that's not "lifted". But, given the series it appears in, I'm OK with the model over-all, as I like the new wheels, and the tampos look good in this series. The haunted school house is a $1 find from Dollar General. I repainted it to the best of my abilities - the kid knocking at the door isn't great, but still better than the "before".

Hot Wheels Ratical Racer (DYB55) - 1 of 8 from 2017 Happy Halloween Series

October is here, so it's time to showcase Hot Wheels' 2017 Happy Halloween series. This year's offering is an eight-car series with a mix of licensed and original offerings. These are sold exclusively at Kroger Grocery Stores. What is especially nice for this year's collection is the premier of a new series of wheels - the HW Skull.

First off is the Ratical Racer. I'm not a fan of rat rods to begin with, and the purple plastic seems an odd choice for the engine. But, especially from the front, the car presents a sinister profile and seems like an appropriate choice for this series. Not my favorite casting, but the tampos and wheels make it an OK model.

Hot Wheels Mercedes-Benz C111 (6978)

I found this older Hot Wheels at a vintage toy store in Kokomo, Indiana. My collection of Hot Wheels doesn't really include any big ticket items, with most of my collection being the $1 mainlines. I snagged this one for $5, and it definitely shows its wear. I'm no expert at distinguishing between the variations, but I'm confident that whatever version this is,this one is 40 years old and was made in the mid-seventies.

This is model on a Mercedes-Benz concept car used as a test bed in the sixties and seventies. The color is pure seventies - I think we had a fridge in the same color. Wish my version was in better shape, but happy with this at the price I paid.

Photo from here

Guardians of the Galaxy - Quicksand (DWD80); 6 of 8

Hot Wheels recently released an eight-car series to commemorate the upcoming release of the movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. Quicksand (DWD80) is the sixth car of the series. The first five cars represented an individual guardian. This car seems to represent the team as a whole.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Solar Reflex (DWD77); 5 of 8

Hot Wheels Solar Reflex (DWD77) - the fifth car of the new 8 car series released in conjunction with up-coming Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. This is the car representing Groot. The Solar Reflex was an inspired choice - the tampos look great and the solar panel adds to the theme.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Fast Fish (DWD75); 3 of 8

Hot Wheels recently released an eight-car set celebrating the new movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. As the castings for these series tend to be non-licensed models, the popularity seems mixed among collectors. The card art and tampos seem to be the big attraction. Rocket Raccoon is represented by the car Fast Fish (DWD75). According to the Hot Wheels Wiki, "the name & general appearance suggest that the casting was inspired by the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda".

Guardians of the Galaxy - Scorcher (DWD76); 4 of 8

Here is number 4 of 8 from the 2017 Hot Wheels Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 series exclusively at Walmart. It is Gamaora's car, the Scorcher (DWD76). The combination of colors of the car and reflective black surface made the camera go crazy - auto-focus and color seem off. This was the first time I've tried this set-up, and will definitely need to experiment to get the photos to look better.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Rivited (DWD73); 2 of 8

Here is the second model of the Guardian of the Galaxy series out now at Walmart. This is Rivited (DWD73), representing Drax. Reminiscent of a '70s era muscle car, it seems fitting for Drax the Destroyer, where nothing gets over his head.

Guardians of the Galaxy - Sling Shot (DWD74); 1 of 8

Hot Wheels just released an eight-car series at Walmart to coincide with the upcoming release of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. As it pretty standard for these series, the cars are all unlicensed models designed by Hot Wheels. Here is Sling Shot (DWD74) representing Star Lord. I've always liked this model for its futuristic styling.

Happy Easter! - Hot Wheels Easter Cars (3 of 6) - Overboard 454 (DWC01)

Here is number 3 in the 6 car Easter set from Hot Wheels - Overboard 454. I think that these decals are the best of this series, and really capture the look of an Easter Egg.

Happy Easter! - Hot Wheels Easter Cars (2 of 6) - Yur So Fast (DWC00)

Here is the 2nd of 6 cars from the 2017 Easter set - Yur So Fast (DWC00).

Happy Easter! - Hot Wheels Easter Cars (1 of 6) - Torque Twister (DWB99)

My local Walmarts finally got the 2017 Hot Wheels Easter cars in stock (never did see the 2016 Christmas cars). The card art is OK - colorful, but not the best that I've seen for the holiday cars - and the car selection is all unlicensed models. In my order of preference, the best is Chill Mill, followed by Maelstrom and then Flight '03. For an additional $3 I completed the set, but really don't care as much for the other 3, including this model, Torque Twister (DWB99). The back drop is the Sto & Go playset that is a current Target exclusive.

Hot Wheels UNSC Scorpion (DWJ82) - 2017 Retro Entertainment Line

Here is another offering from the 5 model set Hot Wheels just put out for the upcoming release of a new HALO video game. Here is the UNSC Scorpion. The scale of these models is not standard - the Gungoose seems to be the largest scale, followed by the Warthog, and then the Scorpion. Not really surprised, and I don't know if having them be in scale to each other would make me like them any more. Given the price, it would be neat if Mattel threw in some figures. 

Hot Wheels 2017 Retro Entertainment - HALO UNSC Warthog (DWJ86)

Hot Wheels recently released a 5-car series commemorating HALO Wars 2. Here is the UNSC Warthog (DWJ86) from that series. This model has more metal than the Mainline release, and the detailing and tampos look good. Card art is well done, too. The figure is from McFarlane Toys Falcon-1.

Hot Wheels 2017 Retro Entertainment - HALO UNSC Gungoose (DWJ85)

Hot Wheels just released a 5-vehicle set in conjunction with the upcoming release of HALO Wars 2. I've played one of the versions of HALO with my son (don't remember which version), so I was looking forward to this release. I was really glad to see the Warthog's release earlier as part of the Mainline, so I made sure to pick up a set from wheelscollectors from eBay while there was a sale going on. Shipping was fast, and the models were well packaged. This is the UNSC Gungoose. The casting has a nice heft, and the details look good, and I guess it is accurate (just a casual gamer of HALO, so not really sure). Card art on this is also fantastic.

Hot Wheels 1970 Pontiac GTO (DWC42) - 2017 American Muscle series

Hot Wheels recently released another set of cars exclusive to Walmart. The cars cost about twice what a mainline offering goes for, and retail around $2. The card art is nicer, and the graphics are a little nicer, too. The wheels are just regular offerings. There are 10 cars in this set, and all look good. 9 of the 10 are licensed models, which is great. I am partial to convertibles, and while the tampos aren't very realistic, but I like the overall looks. This is 1 of 10.

Hot Wheels 1969 Dodge Charger 500 (DTY89) - 2017 Hot Wheels Muscle Mania

Here is Hot Wheels 2017 1969 Dodge Charger 500 in Mooneyes livery. The Charger 500 differed from the standard 1969 Charger in that the rear window was altered to be more flush and the grille was changed to reduce drag.

Hot Wheels 1973 Custom Datsun 240Z from 2017 Mainline (DTW89)

Here is a new model from the 2017 Hot Wheels Mainline - the Custom Datsun 240Z (DTW89), It is from the Factory Fresh series, and looks really good. From the card back: Specialty: A naturally aspirated inline 6 motor with ITBs, wide body kit, deep bucket seats and a full roll cage make this custom Datsun 240Z the ultimate canyon carver! Check out the fender-mounted rear-view mirrors and watch the competition fade into the distance as you step on the gas.

Hot Wheels 1957 Corvette from 2004 Showcase series (C6752)

The thing I really appreciate about joining a collector's club are the deals you can find at meetings. At the January meeting for Indy Hot Wheels Club I snagged a number of older models. I got this 1957 Chevrolet Corvette, issued in 2004, for around $3. From the box:

1957 was a milestone year for the Corvette! It marked the first year for its high performance V8 with a 283 hp fuel-injected engine under its hood. Though its lines were softer, the competition found the new Corvette harder to beat. Zora-Arkus Duntov's meaner more muscular 'Vette placed 1st at Sebring and established the Vette as a world-class sports car. 1957 ... for Corvette it was a very good year!